The Arpanet and computer networks

In 1964 only large mainframe computers existed, each with its own separate set of users. If you were lucky the computer was timeshared, but even then you could not go far away since the terminals were hardwired to it or connected by local phone line. Moreover, if you wanted data from another computer you moved it by tape and you could forget wanting software from a different type of computer. Thus, most users were tied by their computer and terminal to a very restricted enviornment. Today, in 1985, your terminal could well be a microcomputer networked with a very large, worldwide collection of other computers. You can obtain data and software from all these computers relatively easily with room for improvement) or, where convenient, use the software and data on its home computer by remote access, computer to computer. This change, which has occurred over the past 20 years, is in part a massive and evolutionary change in computer technology, and in part a modest and revolutionary change

In 1964 only large mainframe computers existed, each with its own separate set of users. If you were lucky the computer was timeshared, but even then you could not go far away since the terminals were hardwired to it or connected by local phone line. Moreover, if you wanted data from another computer you moved it by tape and you could forget wanting software from a different type of computer. Thus, most users were tied by their computer and terminal to a very restricted enviornment. Today, in 1985, your terminal could well be a microcomputer networked with a very large, worldwide collection of